Rotary machine with removable power slip unit



ROTARY MACHINE WITH REMOVABLE POWER SLIP UNIT Filed Oct. 18, 1957 S. W. LONG Jan. 23, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. SP'A/CEQ ZZZ L0/V6 WTQQEVS S. W. LONG Jan. 23, 1962 ROTARY MACHINE WITH REMOVABLE POWER SLIP UNIT Filed Oct. 18, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 5 5N658 ax L0/V6 ROTARY MACHINE WITH REMOVABLE POWER SLIP UNIT Filed Oct. 18, 1957 S. W. LONG Jan. 23, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 fie. 5.

2 W e a m y WOIQ/VEZ S Jan. 23, 1962 s. w. LONG 3,017,936

ROTARY MACHINE WITH REMOVABLE POWER SLIP UNIT Filed Oct. 18, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 mummlw INVENTOR. 51 5/1 65? [(A LONG Jan. 23, 1962 s. w. LONG ROTARY MACHINE WITH REMOVABLE POWER SLIP UNIT Filed Oct. 18, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 when Patented Jan. 23, 1962 3,017,936 ROTARY MACHINE WITH REMOVABLE PUWER SLIP UNIT Spencer W. Long, Inglewood, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Armco Steel Corporation, Middletown,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 691,102 7 Claims. (Cl. 175-197) This invention relates to rotary well drilling apparatus and is particularly directed to improvements in a rotary machine having a built-in actuator for wedges or slips which are used for supporting the drill pipe during coupling and uncoupling operations. This invention relates to improvements over the apparatus disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 162,210, filed May 16, 1950, now Patent No. 2,810,551, granted October 22, 1957.

It is desirable that the central opening or aperture in the rotary machine be as large as possible within economic limits in order that bits and casing of large size may pass through the rotary machine. Large size bits are commonly used for drilling a large diameter hole of relatively shallow depth to receive the surface casing. Smaller bits are used thereafter which pass through the casing and which are used to drill the hole to the desired depth.

It is also desirable to provide power operated mechanism for actuating the pipe engaging slips. These slips are ordinarily used with a slip bowl or master bushing mounted on the table. In the disclosure of said Patent No. 2, 810,551 parallel vertical posts mounted in the table slide relative thereto and each operates one of the slips respectively, through a bracket and link removably attached to its upper end. The lower ends of the posts are rigidly connected to a lift ring mounted below the table.

However, the radial space taken up by the parallel vertical posts ordinarily results in reducing the size of the opening through the table assembly, thereby limiting the maximum size bit which can be employed. In order to to retain the advantages of the large size opening in the table, when equipped with power actuated slips, it is necessary to increase the size of the gear, gear table and supporting bearings but this is accomplished only at great expense.

In accordance with my invention, a large diameter aperture is provided in the table and a power-actuated slip assembly is removably mounted within this table aperture. The power-actuated slip assembly may be lifted out of the table aperture so that a bit of maximum size may be inserted or Withdrawn through the table. In normal drilling operations, while the kelly and drill pipe are being rotated, the major portion of the poweroperated slip assembly remains in position in the table aperture. The power-operated slip assembly also remains in position while the drill pipe sections are being coupled or uncoupled during the operation of going into the hole or coming out of the hole. Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a novel form of power-operated slip unit for a rotary machine which can be withdrawn as a unit to provide a maximum size opening through the table.

Another object is to provide a power-operated slip of unit of this type in which parallel sliding posts are mounted on a sleeve member axially insertable into the table aperture. Another object is to provide a poweroperated slip unit of this type in which the lift ring fixed to the lower ends of the posts is smaller in diameter than the minimum lateral dimension of the table aperture, so that the lift ring may pass upward through the table aperture with the posts and sleeve member. Another object is to provide a power-operated slip unit of this type which employs a yoke assembly for operating the lift ring, the yoke assembly having a pair of arms which may be swung laterally to an inoperative position.

Other and more detailed objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a preferred embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, taken along lines 22 as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on lines 33 as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on lines 44 as shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on lines 55 as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is an elevation similar to FIGURE 2 showing the power operated slip assembly being withdrawn upward through the table aperture.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the yoke arms spread to inoperative position.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation partly in section, showing the Kelly drive bushing in position on the table assembly.

Referring to the drawings, the rotary machine generally designated 10, includes a stationary base 11 rotatably supporting a table 12 by means of bearing assemblies 13 and 14. A bevel gear 15 fixed on the table 12 and forming a part thereof is driven by a bevel pinion 16 which is fixed on the pinion shaft 17 rotatably mounted on the base 11. A sprocket 18 on the projecting end of the pinion shaft 17 receives power from a chain (not shown). A stationary guard 19 covers a major portion of the table and is supported on the base in any desired manner.

The table 12 is provided with a central axial opening or aperture 20. This aperture is circular and is large enough to pass the largest diameter bit to be used with the drill string. Aperture 20 has an enlarged circular portion 21 at its upper end and a series of substantially radial pockets 22. A shoulder 23 is formed on the table 12 between the upper and lower portions of the aperture.

A sleeve member generally designated 24 is provided with an external circular portion 25 which is received within the aperture 20 on the table 12 and is provided at its upper end with a series of lugs 26 which etxend into the pockets 22. Sleeve member 25a rests on the annular shoulder 23 and has a central cylindrical openening 27 for reception of a slip bowl or split master bushing assembly 28. The sleeve member 25a is provided with a circumferential series of axially extending guid openings 29 each of which slidably receives one of the posts 30. The posts 3t) are parallel and each is rigidly fixed to a lift ring 31 positioned below the sleeve member 24 and table 12. The posts slide within the aperture 20 and through the guide openings 29. A releasable de vice 32 connects the upper end of each post 30 with an individual bracket 33 and each bracket 33 is in turn connected by means of a pivoted link 34 to one of the wedge slips 35. The slips 35 are received within the taper bore 36 of the bowl 28 and serve to grip the pipe 37.

The detachable connection generally designated 32 may take any suitable or desirable form and as shown in the drawings, includes an internal wrenching set screw 33 threaded within a bushing 39 fixed on the bracket 33. A projection 40 on the set screw engages an undercut surface 41 provided on the upper end of the post 30. Access to the set screw is gained through an opening 42 provided 3 in the head 43 of post 30. Each post head 43 overlies the upper end of the sleeve 24 and extends within the circular enlargement 21.

A yoke assembly generally designated 45 is provided for raising and lowering the lift ring 31. As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 6, this yoke assembly includes a hub 46 mounted to turn on a stationary horizontal shaft 47 fixed in the base 11. A pair of arms 48 is connected to the hub 46 by means of vertical pivot pins 49 in such a manner that the extending arms can be swung toward and away from each other as viewed in FIGURE 3. A roller 50 is rotatably mounted within a bearing housing 51 provided at the swinging end of each of the arms 48 and these rollers engage within the annular trackway 52 provided on the lift ring 31.

A crank-arm 53 is fixed to the hub 46 and is connected for actuation by the power cylinder assembly generally designated 54. Air or other fluid under pressure is admitted into the power cylinder assembly 54 under control of suitable valves (not shown) for swinging the crank arm 53 in either direction about the stationary shaft 47 thereby serving to move the yoke assembly 45 between the full line position and phantom line position shown in FIGURE 2. So long as the rollers 50 remain in engagement with the track 52, this pivotal movement of the yoke assembly 45 serves to raise or lower the lift ring 31, posts 30, brackets 33, links 34 and slips 35 relative to the slip bowl 26, sleeve member 24 and table 12.

A power cylinder assembly 57 is pivoted at 58 and 59 to the arms 48 and serves to swing the arms 48 against the action of the coil spring 56 to move them to the engaged position shown in FIGURE 3. In the inoperative position shown in FIGURE 7, the rollers 50 are positioned radially outward of the track 52 and have clearance with respect to the outer periphery of the lift ring 31. Accordingly, the lift ring 31, posts 30 and sleeve member 24 may be lifted vertically as a unit. The outer diameter of the lift ring 31 is smaller than the minimum transverse dimension of the table aperture so that the left ring passes freely in an upward direction through the table aperture.

The posts 36 may be rectangular in cross section and are rigidly secured at their lower ends to the lift ring 31. The connection with the lift ring may be accomplished by means of threaded fastenings 60 which extend through lugs 61 formed integrally with the lift ring 31. Although three parallel posts 34? are shown in the drawings, a

greater or lesser number may be employed, if desired.

It will be observed that the lower ends of posts 30 do not project radially beyond the outer periphery of the ring 31.

When the rotary machine 10 is used to turn the drill string during the drilling operation, the brackets 33, links 34- and slips 35 are removed and set aside. The posts 30 are retracted to their lowest position by depressing the ring 31. A Kelly drive bushing 65 is then installed on the rotary table 10, as shown in FIGURE 8. This drive bushing may be provided with drive rollers 66 which contact faces of the Kelly 67 which is polygonal in cross section. The Kelly 67 extends through the central skirt 68 which is fixed to the Kelly drive bushing 65, and this skirt, during installation of the drive bushing 65, cooperates with the tapered bore 36 in the master bushing 28 to center the bushing 65 relative to the axis of the table 12. This centering action is described in detail in the Young Patent 2,422,383, granted June 17, 1947. The drive bushing 65 is provided with downward extending lugs 69 which are received in drive pockets 70 provided in sleeve member 24. The drive bushing 65 is thus supported on the split master bushing 28 but is driven by sleeve member 24.

When the drilling operation is interrupted in order to change the bit, the Kelly 67 is withdrawn upward in the conventional manner and the usual enlargement (not shown) at the lower end of the Kelly engages drive rollers 66 and serves to withdraw the drive bushing 65 upward with the Kelly 67. The brackets 33, links 34 and slips 35 are then reassembled into the rotary machine to support the drill pipe during the uncoupling operation incident to withdrawing the drill pipe from the hole.

If the bit (not shown) at the lower end of the drill string is too large to pass through the opening 27 in the sleeve member 24, the arms 48 are separated laterally by means of the power cylinder assembly 57 to the inoperative position shown in FIGURE 7. In this position the lift ring 31, posts 30 and sleeve 24 are free to move upward out of the table aperture 20. Lifting hooks 71 are then engaged with the lugs 72 on sleeve 24 to lift the ring 31, posts 30, slip bowl 28 and sleeve 24 out of the table aperture 20 as a unit. The bit may then be passed through the large central aperture 20 on the table. After the bit has been changed and lowered through the table aperture, the assembly of ring 31, posts 30, slip bowl 28 and sleeve 24 may be reinserted into the table aperture. When the lift ring 31 reaches its lowest position, the power cylinder assembly 57 is energized to swing the arms 48 toward each other against the spreading action of the spring 56 and to engage the rollers 50 with the trackway 52 on the lift ring 31.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rotary machine, comprising in combination: a base, a table rotatably mounted upon the base and provided with a central aperture and a concentric enlarged bore thereabove, a sleeve member insertable into the aperture to rest upon the table and provided with a central opening, said sleeve member having an enlargement at its upper end received within said enlarged bore, the enlargement being provided with a plurality of guide openings, a slip bowl mounted in said opening and having a central taper bore, a plurality of pipe-supporting slips received within the slip bowl, a plurality of longitudinally movable parallel posts guided for sliding movement within said guide openings, linkage means above the table removably connecting the posts to said pipe-supporting slips, to permit upward removal of the slips from the slip bowl and a lift ring positioned below the sleeve member and fixed rigidly to said posts, said lift ring having an outer diameter smaller than the central aperture of the table, whereby the sleeve member, posts and lift ring may be withdrawn upwardly as a unit through the table aperture.

2. A rotary machine, comprising in combination: a base, a table rotatably mounted upon the base and provided with a central aperture and a concentric enlarged bore thereabove, a sleeve member axially insertable into the aperture to rest upon the table and provided with a central opening, said sleeve member having an enlargement at its upper end received within said enlarged bore, the enlargement being provided with a plurality of guide openlngs, a split master bushing in said opening and rest ing on the sleeve member, the master bushing having a central downwardly converging taper bore, a plurality of p1pe-supporting slips received within the taper bore, a plurality of longitudinally movable parallel posts guided for sliding movement within said guide openings, linkage means above the table removably connecting the posts to said pipe-supporting slips, to permit upward removal of the slips from the slip bowl and a lift ring positioned below the sleeve member and fixed rigidly to said posts, said lift ring having an outer diameter smaller than the central aperture of the table whereby the sleeve member, posts and lift ring may be withdrawn axially as a unit through the table aperture.

3. A rotary machine, comprising in combination: a base, a table rotatably mounted upon the base and provided with a central aperture and a concentric enlarged bore thereabove, a sleeve member insertable downwardly into the aperture to rest upon and rotate with the table, the sleeve member being provided with a central opening, said-sleeve member having an enlargement at its upper end received within said enlarged bore, said enlargement being provided with a plurality of guide openings, a slip bowl mounted in said opening, a plurality of pipe-supporting slips received within the bowl, a plurality of longitudinally movable parallel posts guided for sliding movement within said guide openings, linkage means above the table removably connecting the posts to said pipe-supporting slips to permit upward removal of the slips from the slip bowl, a lift ring positioned below the sleeve member and fixed rigidly to said posts, said lift ring having an outer diameter which is smaller than the minimum transverse dimension of the central aperture in the table, the lift ring having an annular track, a yoke assembly mounted upon the base and provided with elements engageable with said track, and means whereby said elements may be shifted to an inoperative position, whereby the sleeve member, posts and lift ring may be withdrawn upwardly as a unit through the table aperture.

4. In a rotary machine, the combination of: a base, a table rotatably mounted upon the base and having a central aperture, a sleeve mounted in the table aperture and resting upon the table, a plurality of upright parallel posts guided for simultaneous vertical movement on the sleeve, a lift ring fixed to the posts below the sleeve for raising the posts as a unit, the maximum diameter of the life ring being smaller than the central aperture, pipe gripping means connected to the upper ends of the posts, power means on the base for actuating the lift ring to raise and lower the posts, said means including a yoke assembly pivotally mounted on the base and having a hub, laterally swinging arms each pivotally mounted on said hub, each arm having an element engageable with the lift ring, resilient means for spreading the arms to disengage said elements from the lift ring, and power-actuated means for swinging the arms in opposition to the force of the resilient means to engage the elements with the lift ring, whereby the sleeve member, posts and lift ring may be withdrawn upwardly as a unit through the table aperture, upon disengagement of said elements from the lift ring.

5. In a rotary machine, the combination of: a base, a table rotatably mounted upon the base and having a central aperture, a sleeve mounted in the table aperture and resting upon the table, a plurality of upright parallel posts guided for simultaneous vertical movement on the sleeve, a lift ring fixed to the posts below the sleeve for raising the posts as a unit, the maximum diameter of the lift ring being smaller than the central aperture, pipe gripping means connected to the upper ends of the posts, power means on the base for actuating the lift ring to raise and lower the posts, said means including a yoke assembly pivotally mounted on the base and having a hub, laterally swinging arms each pivotally mounted on said hub, each arm having an element engageable with the lift ring, a power cylinder assembly having a piston pivotally connected to one arm and a cooperating cylinder pivotally connected to the other, a coil spring within the cylinder engaging one side of the piston and acting to spread the arms apart, and means to introduce pressure fluid into the cylinder against the other side of the piston to compress the spring and to swing the arms in a direction to engage said elements with the lift ring, whereby the sleeve member, posts and lift ring may be withdrawn upwardly as a unit through the table aperture, upon disengagement of said elements from the lift ring.

6. A rotary machine comprising, in combination: a base, a table rotatably mounted upon the base and provided with a central aperture and a concentric enlarged bore thereabove, a sleeve member insertable downwardly into the aperture to rest upon and rotate with the table, the sleeve member being provided with a central opening, said sleeve member having an enlargement at its upper end received within said enlarged bore, said enlargement being provided with a plurality of guide openings, a slip bowl mounted in said opening, a plurality of pipe-supporting slips received within the bowl, a plurality of longitudinally movable parallel posts guided for sliding movement within said guide openings, linkage means above the table removably connecting the posts to said pipe-supporting slips to permit upward removal of the slips from the slip bowl, a lift ring positioned below the sleeve member and fixed rigidly to said posts, said lift ring having an outer diameter which is smaller than the minimum transverse dimension of the central aperture in the table, the lift ring having an annular track, a yoke assembly pivotally mounted upon the base and including a hub member having laterally movable arms pivotally mounted thereon, means on said arms engageable with said track, and means whereby said arms may be shifted to an inoperative position, whereby the sleeve member, posts and lift ring may be withdrawn upwardly as a unit through the table aperture.

7. A rotary machine comprising, in combination: a base, a table rotatably mounted upon the base and provided with a central aperture and a concentric enlarged bore thereabove, a sleeve member insertable downwardly into the aperture to rest upon and rotate with the table, the sleeve member being provided with a central opening, said sleeve member having an enlargement at its upper end received within said enlarged bore, said enlargement being provided with a plurality of guide openings, a slip bowl mounted in said opening, a plurality of pipe-supporting slips received within the bowl, a plurality of longitudinally movable parallel posts guided for sliding movement within said guide openings, linkage means above the table removably connecting the posts to said pipe-supporting slips to permit upward removal of the slips from the slip bowl, a lift ring positioned below the sleeve member and fixed rigidly to said posts, said lift ring having an outer diameter which is smaller than the minimum transverse dimension of the central aperture in the table, the lift ring having an annular track, a yoke assembly includinga hub mounted to turn on the base and a pair of separable swinging arms pivotally mounted upon the hub, each arm having a swinging end provided with a roller for engaging said annular track, and means whereby said arms may be shifted to an inoperative position whereby the sleeve member, posts and lift ring may be withdrawn upwardly as a unit through the table aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,259,855 Greve Mar. 19, 1918 1,341,410 Black May 25, 1920 1,341,702 Black June 1, 1920 2,491,711 Clahoun Dec. 20, 1949 2,698,734 Tremolada et al Jan. 4, 1955 2,797,895 Spiri July 2, 1957 2,810,551 Long Oct. 22, 1957 2,810,552 Martin Oct. 22, 1957 2,814,461 a Martin Nov. 26, 1957 

